Venue: Siambr Hywel Dda, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SH
Contact: Annes Siôn 01286 679490
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of personal interest. |
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URGENT ITEMS Additional documents: Minutes: There were no urgent items. |
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MATTERS ARISING FROM OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY Additional documents: Minutes: There were no matters arising from overview and scrutiny. |
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 17 DECEMBER 2019 PDF 99 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair signed the minutes of
the meeting held on 17 December 2019 as a true record. |
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HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING POLICY PDF 84 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Nia Jeffreys Additional documents:
Decision: The new Health,
Safety and Well-being Policy was approved. Minutes: Presented by Cllr Nia Jeffreys DECISION The new Health, Safety and Well-being Policy was
approved. DISCUSSION The report was submitted with the emphasis that it was a
legal requirement to have a Health, Safety and Well-being Policy. She added
that due to the size of the Council, the policy needed to be very clear. She
expressed that the current policy dated back to 2015 and that there had been
many changes over the past four years. The policy reflected these changes and
moved beyond the required legal obligation.
Observations arising from the discussion ¾
It was noted that this field was important and
focal to the Council's work. The importance of having firm policies was
reiterated. ¾
A member highlighted that there was no comment
by the union and questioned whether this was unusual? It was explained that
this was not unusual and that they had no comment or objection to the policy. ¾
Attention was drawn to a flow-chart indicating
the procedure for carrying out consultations, where there was a definite
procedure to follow. ¾
It was expressed that Health and Safety events
were taking place and that the policy existed to provide guidance to staff. Awdur: Geraint Owen |
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Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Decision: It was
agreed to commit £50,000 of the Council's Transformation Fund in order to
enable the department to realise the vision of supporting evens in accordance
with the Gwynedd Plan 2018-23. Minutes: The report was presented by Cllr Gareth Thomas DECISION It was agreed to commit £50,000 from the Council's
Transformation Fund to enable the department to realise the vision of
supporting events in accordance with the Gwynedd Plan 2018-23. DISCUSSION The report was presented, noting that a named officer was
looking at the county's events. He added that there was a dedicated role in
order to attract events and ensure the best benefit for the businesses of
Gwynedd. He expressed that although the contribution offered to event
organisers was relatively small, the benefits were also highlighted, which
included opportunities for communities and young people and a central place for
the Welsh language and the culture of Gwynedd. He drew attention to a list of highlights from various
events during the past year. It was added that discussions were being held
regarding various locations throughout Gwynedd, therefore discussions about Y
Faenol as a venue were not out of the ordinary. Observations arising from the
discussion ¾
It
was enquired how the events received numbers on figures. It was noted that this
happened through discussion with the organisers, they then evaluated them and
adapted. ¾
A discussion ensued on how the department looked
at the impact of events on the language. In terms of the organising of an
event, meetings were held with the organisers where they would sign an
agreement. In terms of monitoring, it was noted that the Events Officer
attended a large number of the events, and the 'Red Bull Hardline' event was
provided as an example where the Welsh language had increasing exposure year on
year. ¾
Attention was drawn to value for money - for
every £1 that the Council had invested in events, it brought a profit of
£140.26 to the county. A member enquired how could this be measured. It was
explained that the Welsh Government had produced a calculator where figures
were obtained based on assumptions that were themselves derived from
quantifying the benefits that came about from such events. Awdur: Roland Evans |
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REVENUE BUDGET 2019-20 - END OF NOVEMBER REVIEW PDF 82 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Ioan Thomas Additional documents: Decision: Resolved
to: ·
Accept the report on the end of November 2019 review of the Revenue
Budget and consider the latest financial situation regarding the budgets of
each department/service. ·
Note that there is a significant overspend by the Adults, Health and
Well-being Department this year, and as complex details need to be clarified in
this picture in Adults care, the Chief Executive has already called a meeting
of the relevant officers and commissioned work in order to gain a better
understanding and a clear response programme. To attempt to meet the overspend
in future, an additional resource is allocated as part of the bidding system
for the 2020/21 budget. ·
To note that the Children's Budget Taskforce has been commissioned by
the Chief Executive to address serious financial matters within the Children
and Families Department so that it is possible to get to the root of the
Department's overspend, with the intention of submitting a report to the
Cabinet that will detail on the response plan. To attempt to meet the overspend
in future, an additional resource is allocated as part of the bidding system
for the 2020/21 budget. ·
On Corporate budgets, that: ¾ (£198k) of additional
tax yield on the Council's Tax Premium is added to the £2.7 million that has
already been allocated in 2019/20 to be considered for the Housing Strategy. ¾ (£75k) relating to
capital costs allocated to a capital programme fund. ¾ (£500k) of Corporate
underspend is allocated to fund a lack of grants in the field of sustainable
social services. ¾ (£312k) to be spent to
fund one-off bids that have been submitted by the Departments for expenditure
in 2020/21. ¾ The remainder (£502k) would go towards the Council’s general balances Minutes: Presented by
Cllr Ioan Thomas DECISION Resolved
to: ·
Accept the report on the end of November 2019 review of the Revenue
Budget, and consider the latest financial situation regarding the budgets of
each department/service. ·
Note that there is significant overspend by the Adults, Health and
Well-being Department this year, as complex details need to be clarified in
Adult care, the Chief Executive has already called a meeting of the relevant
officers and commissioned work to obtain a better understanding and a clear
response programme. To try and address the overspend in future, an additional
resource has been allocated as part of the bidding process for the 2020/21
budget. ·
Note that a Children's Budget Taskforce has been commissioned by the
Chief Executive to address the complex financial issues of the Children and
Families Department in order to get to the root of the overspend, with the
intention of presenting a report to the Cabinet which will detail the response
plan. To try and address the overspend in future, an additional resource has
been allocated as part of the bidding process for the 2020/21 budget. ·
On Corporate budgets, that: ¾
(£198k) yield on Council Tax Premium added to the £2.7 million that has
already been allocated in 2019/20 is considered for the Housing Strategy. ¾
(£75k) relating to capital costs be allocated to the capital programme
fund. ¾
(£500k) of Corporate underspend be allocated to fund the lack of grant
in the area of sustainable social services. ¾
(£312k) be used to fund one-off bids that have been presented by the
Departments for the purpose of 2020/21 expenditure. ¾
the balance of (£502k) goes to the
Council's general balances. DISCUSSION The report was presented, noting that the report highlighted
some signs of difficulties with achieving savings. The member expressed that
there were some departments that would overspend, and these were discussed
individually. Adults, Health and Well-being Department – the latest
forecasts suggested over £1.8 million of overspend by the department. The
overspend was partly alleviated to £658k following the receipt of a grant and
use of one-off funding. Children and Supporting Families Department – it was noted
that the level of overspend in the department had intensified further to £3.2
million with £2.6 million forecast to be overspent on placements, where the
majority of the overspend resulted from out-of-county placements. It was added
that a Budget Taskforce had been established to address financial issues in the
department, and it was noted that this situation was not uncommon throughout
Wales. Highways Department – overspend continued in the area of
waste collection and disposal, adding that transitional costs before moving to
new arrangements had led to the overspend. Attention was drawn to Corporate underspend with favourable forecasts of additional Council Tax yield and Council Tax Premium yield, but despite this there was a continued trend of back-dating transfers from Council Tax to Non-domestic Rates. It was also emphasised that the number claiming Council Tax reductions was at its lowest for the fourth year in ... view the full minutes text for item 8. Awdur: Ffion Madog Evans |
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CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2019/20 – END OF NOVEMBER REVIEW PDF 316 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Ioan Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To
accept the report on the end of November review (30 November 2019 position) of
the capital programme, and approve the revised financing as shown in part 4 of
the report, that is: ·
£50,000 decrease in the use of loans ·
£1,072,000 increase in the use of grants and
contributions ·
£114,000 increase in the use of capital
receipts ·
£23,000 dec ·
No change in the use of the capital reserve ·
£228,000 increase in the use of renewal
funds and others Minutes: Presented by Cllr Ioan Thomas DECISION To accept the report on the end of November review (30
November 2019 position) of the capital programme, and approve the revised
funding as shown in part 4 of the report, namely: ·
£50,000 decrease in
the use of borrowing ·
£1,072,000 increase in
the use of grants and contributions ·
£114,000 increase in
the use of capital receipts ·
£23,000 decrease in
the use of revenue contributions ·
No change in the use
of the capital reserve ·
£228,000 increase in
the use of renewal and other reserves DISCUSSION The report was presented, and the decision noted. It was
highlighted that the revised report indicated a total of £89.1 million over the
next three years. He added that there had been a £1.341 million increase in the
budget since the previous review. He emphasised that there were definite plans in place to
invest £31.8 million in 2019/20 on capital schemes. He added that £13 million
of this would be funded through grants. He stated that an additional £9.2
million of proposed expenditure had been re-profiled from 2019/20 to 2020/21
but this change did not cause any loss of funding to the Council. Observations arising from the discussion ¾
The rights of employees working on schemes
funded specifically by grants were discussed, and it was expressed that a
further discussion was needed on the matter. ¾
We should rejoice at the £31.7 million of
capital schemes for 2019/20, and the members thanked the staff for planning
projects in advance so that the Council could take advantage of last-minute
funding. ¾
Attention was drawn to the £1.9 million that
would be available to improve school buildings, which would have implications
for the assets plan. Awdur: Ffion Madog Evans |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE PDF 143 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Ioan Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To accept
and note the information in the report. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Ioan Thomas DECISION To accept and note the information
in the report. DISCUSSION The report was presented,
and the Councillor noted that the report was based on the department's performance-challenging meetings where a member of the Audit and Governance
Committee had also been in attendance.
He drew attention to the
main matters which included the Information Technology Strategy, noting that progress
was slow at present as the department was concentrating on an education
grant project which had a tight
timetable. In respect
of the electronic document and records management
system (EDRMS), he noted that the scheme was progressing very positively but that a few problems
had arisen. He noted the need to circulate a message to all users, requesting feedback about the system. He referred to
the Information Technology
Service, and stated that time had been
invested in training staff so that they were
equipped to respond to, and resolve, users'
problems over the telephone at the first point of contact. He also highlighted that there had been a three-week period in November
where the Council's systems had operated from a back-up server on three
occasions due to an outage. He emphasised
that the users had not been aware of this,
and that their work was unaffected. It was noted that
the total value of various debts over
6 months old, excluding deferred payments and debts
referred to other services for further
action, was higher on 30 September 2019 than on 31 March
2019. It was noted that one of the reasons for this was the Health Board delaying
payments in order to hold discussions
to determine who was liable for paying. He highlighted one
of the main pieces of work accomplished in recent months, which was the valuation of the Pension Fund. He noted that the funding level of the Fund had increased from 91% in 2016 to 108% this year. This
meant that we could see an
element of reduction in the Council's contribution as employer. It was noted that
the Cabinet Member was satisfied
with the department's performance, but there was room for improvement. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
A member expressed that small businesses appreciated the fact that invoices were
paid without delay by the Council. ¾
The members discussed that fact that 9 people
had made contact with the recovery team, and that
they had been referred to the CAB for debt advice which
was a much lower figure than in previous years. It was expressed that perhaps the Council needed to encourage people to discuss their situation
with the staff, so that they could
be directed to the right support. Awdur: Dilwyn Williams |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT PDF 111 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Gareth Griffith Additional documents: Decision: To accept
and note the information in the report. Minutes: The report was presented
by Cllr Gareth Griffith DECISION To accept and note
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was presented,
noting the work that the department had been doing over
recent months. It was expressed that the performance-challenging meeting
had taken place with the Cabinet Member together with the Corporate Director. The Member highlighted
that the Environment Department had established a new system called Tascomi, which would be used by various services within the department and which would
provide better services to the residents. He added that savings
had either been, or were on track
to be realised and that the department was likely to under-spend this year. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
Attention was drawn to
the indicator relating to
the number of appeals to
the independent adjudicators
that were approved, noting that the number remained at 0. This demonstrated that officers' discretion was used correctly. It was added that perhaps
the report should note how many
appeals went to panel when a complaint arose. Awdur: Morwena Edwards |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ADULT, HEALTH AND WELLBEING PDF 118 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Dafydd Meurig Additional documents: Decision: To accept
and note the information in the report. Minutes: The report was presented
by Cllr Dafydd Meurig DECISION To accept and note
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was presented,
with the main points in the report highlighted.
The member drew attention to one of the department's main measures, 'did
we do what matters to the individual?' and he emphasised that
this is what drove the service. He stated that
some of the measures were statutory ones by the Welsh Government, such as the rate of delayed care for
social care reasons. He added that this measure
did drive activity but did not reflect the citizen's experience. He said that Workforce
and Recruitment in the care field continued
to be a priority for the department. On the whole, the member was satisfied with the department's performance. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
A Cabinet member thanked the staff for the service he had received by the department, and from his experience,
it was a commendable service.
A member stated that the department had not included any graphs
indicating their performance, but that stories like these reflected the quality of the service. ¾
It was highlighted that the challenge would be to consider how individuals' experiences could be converted to a measure to show the quality of the service. Awdur: Morwena Edwards |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PDF 119 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To accept
and note the information in the report. Minutes: The report was presented
by Cllr Gareth Thomas DECISION To accept and note
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was presented,
with the main points in the report noted.
It was expressed that the libraries had been working very closely
with the residents on updating bus
passes. It was added that the Welsh Public Libraries Standards had presented a very encouraging picture of Gwynedd Libraries. An update
was provided on work in Neuadd Dwyfor, noting that a users
team had been established in order to consult with local people.
Concern was expressed regarding overspend in Storiel, however
it was noted that the service was currently reviewing the arrangements. The 'businesses receiving support to prosper' scheme was highlighted, which ensures a way of working in the Council that places
business needs at the centre, and reduces
barriers. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
Attention was drawn to
a delay with the parking savings scheme, noting that some departments
believed that increasing income reduced the savings. It was added that should
there be no rise in income,
it could be difficult to find a solution. Awdur: Dilwyn Williams |
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FORWARD WORK PROGRAM PDF 62 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn Additional documents: Decision: To approve
the Forward Work Programme included with the meeting papers, subject to minor
amendments. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Dyfrig Siencyn DECISION To approve the Forward Work Programme
included in the papers for the meeting, subject to minor amendments. DISCUSSION It was noted that minor amendments were required to the programme before it was published on the website. It was added that the Departments should notify the Democratic Services Team promptly of items to be placed on the forward programme, and if any items were slipping. |